More Buses To Run To Whitehall Malls

The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority will increase bus service to the Lehigh Valley and Whitehall malls as of June 9, when it begins its new Metro service.

The Metro service also involves dropping the Route 15 bus and servicing parts of that route with Routes 36 and 45.

Armand Greco, executive director of LANTA, said the improvements are mainly in the area of bus frequency.

While service will continue to be concentrated in downtown areas, he said, the malls north of Allentown will be a focal point.

"What LANTA is doing is taking the same hours of service it provides now and redistributing that service in the metropolitan areas of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton," he said. "The results will be a service that is less confusing, easier to use and provides more access to more destinations.' '

Greco said a recent telephone survey conducted for LANTA in the tri-city area indicated that one of three people in the Lehigh Valley have used bus service in the past year and that one in five households has a regular bus rider.

The following areas are targeted for improved service and services:

- Route 4 (Northampton-Catasauqua): all day service to the Hamilton, Whitehall and Lehigh Valley malls and increased frequency during peak hours.

- Route 5 (Stiles-Coplay-Hokendauqua): eight more trips a day to the three malls.